Help! It won't move!!

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clifftt

clifftt

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Fixed the oil leak in my new engine (273 2bbl w/A904 push button) and broke it in Saturday, ran it for 30 minutes. I timed it & set the idle. Car sounds good! I put the car into gear. NADA!! Doesn't want to budge.
I noticed the transmission was a little over a quart low, I added fluid, still nothin'. I banged the push buttons thru all the gears, let it run for 15-30 seconds in R-N-D-1-2 three of four times, but no change.
Here's the facts: I installed a new Hughes Street torque converter and a new torque converter seal. I did nothing else with the transmission, except to scrape off some outside crud. I remember installing the torque converter and when I bolted it to the flex plate, everything lined up and fit nicely, didn't have to force or jam anything together.
With the car in drive or reverse up to 2500 rpm, the driveshaft does not spin. I pulled the small inspection cover at the bottom of the bellhousing on a level floor, and there's no leaks.
The only weird thing I notice is that the fluid level on the dipstick doesn't change. It reads the same level whether the car is cold, or if the engine is warm and running in neutral. The tranny was working fine a year and a half ago when I pulled the motor. The trans was not pulled out, spent the whole time in the car. I'm baffled!! HELP!!!!!
 
Put a pressure gauge into one of the take offs, 100lb gauge will work. I think you wont get any reading.
My guess is the front pump on the trans too a sh*t.
Sorry,
Just my thoughts, maybe some one else has another idea, but the gauge will tell the truth.
 
just reread your post, you didnt drop the oil pan and install a new filter? Filter might be plugged, but rare to see that happen, most likely the pump.
 
That is a good idea. I've had the same thing happen to me. I pulled my motor and left the trans in. A year later NOTHING. While it sat there it took a crap. I dont know how???
 
You didn't state what year the trans is???? If it is an early 64-65 trans the output/pump shaft is different than the later trans'. If I'm not mistaken the converter you installed if for later 904's. I know a few people who ran into this, it feels like it seats then nothing when you put it in gear. When I had my 64 p/button trans redone I had a later front pump assembly installed...

Bob
 
.............Up 2 1967 they had a course spline that was smaller than 1968 up with a fine spline, I can remember what the spline #s r.............u may have the wrong converter 4 the trans..............kim.............
 
Did you prime the converter and when you spun it to engage the pump did you feel any resistance? also what is the converter part number?
 
All of those are real good questions. I put the wrong converter in one of my trannies once and it did not do sqwat. And all of mine have been early ones.
 
Sounds like your converter is not engaging with the pump or as was mentioned the pump quit. Try putting the old converter back in. If it works the converter is not engaging the pump.
 
camd64 said:
Did you prime the converter and when you spun it to engage the pump did you feel any resistance? also what is the converter part number?
Click to expand...
Part# is 18-20. I called Hughes direct and ordered it myself. I checked the number of spline teeth to the old one and it matched.
To cam64: Yes, I poured ATF into the torque converter before I installed it, but from what I read, fluid would have pumped into it anyways. But since I always prime my oil filters, I put fluid into the converter.
To Bobsdart: That's a scary thought. I'll call Hughes tomorrow to see if there's a chance I got an incorrect converter.
To kocuda: I did not change the filter or evewn take off the pan. As for setting up gauges, I'll have a tranny shop do that iof this goes that far.
 
I had the same problem with my 904 after I put a competition converter 3000 stall. I was not a member of this board at the time. Everything went together fine, except nothing worked, like you. As mentioned in previous post, I found that I had the wrong input shaft, for the comp. converter. I swapped the input shaft and holy moly it worked. It wasn't until I talked to Competition that I found out what the problem was. I changed the input shaft because I wanted to use their converter and I didn't have any other option. I have a 1967 model 904.
 
cuda67 said:
I had the same problem with my 904 after I put a competition converter 3000 stall. I was not a member of this board at the time. Everything went together fine, except nothing worked, like you. As mentioned in previous post, I found that I had the wrong input shaft, for the comp. converter. I swapped the input shaft and holy moly it worked. It wasn't until I talked to Competition that I found out what the problem was. I changed the input shaft because I wanted to use their converter and I didn't have any other option. I have a 1967 model 904.
Click to expand...
I admit, I know nothing about automatic transmissions. I know a little bit about manual transmissions. My question, for my education, is how would you have switched input shafts to make your torque converter work? A manual transmission input shaft is basically solid with a gear at the end. Is an auto input shaft hollow, or what made it different in your case to make your 3000 converter work?
 
camd64 said:
Did you prime the converter and when you spun it to engage the pump did you feel any resistance? also what is the converter part number?
Click to expand...
Also to cam64: I did prime the converter, I remember spinning it while the trans was in neutral. I did not feel any resistance. I did not try spinning it with the selector in drive or reverse.
To romeo: Yea, I may have to do that. Not looking forward to that. I'll call Hughes tomorrow, first.
To all: thanks for your replies, it's greatly appreciated!
 
OK, so today I called Hughes Performance, talked to a guy in tech. He said I should have felt the torque converter click in three times. He says the converter is probably "not engaging with the pump" and is probably not pushed in all way. He says if I were to pull it out now, I would probably find the nose of the hub a little chewed up which would verify it is not in all the way.
He also said before taking the tranny out, to disconnect one of the pressure lines to see if it pumping. If not, its further proof that the pump is not engaging with the torque converter.
What ticks me off is I thought I made sure the converter was properly set in, spun it around until it sunk in about a half inch. I don't remember anything about it clicking in.
 
I am also a vacumm when it comes to auto transmissions. I had it done by a good friend at a tranny shop. Basically he put a newer input shaft in my tranny . Read oldkimmer, Kim, post that is the problem I had. Since he had just rebuilt the tranny it was less expense to change the input shaft rather than rebuild another tranny.
 
I usually will spin the converter clockwise quite a few times over and every few spins i stop and rotate it counter clockwise about a quarter turn. i keep doing that until i can feel it slide back and you can feel a little resistance too from it engaging the pump. if i don't feel any resistance it comes right back off till i figure it out. but usually you would have issues trying to bolt the engine and trans. together. most shops and suppliers don't really seem to know the difference between the early 904's and the later ones unless they are getting more uncommon these days. hopefully you get it sorted out without too much more of a headache.
 
from the sound of your post you still need to add more fluid till it gets to the full mark then run thru the gears a few times then recheck the fluid and top it off again,repeat till full on the dipstick with the car idling in neutral with parking brake on and wheels chocked.yea ya should change the fluid and filter and yep you might have to have the input shaft changed on the earlier a body transmissions.hope this works out.
 
Good advice, camd64. I'll remember that when I pull it apart.
By the way, I grew up in San Jose, remember playing whiffle ball in front of our house on Meridian Ave back in the 60's. You'd get flattened in five seconds if you tried that today. My mom still lives there. Went to Pioneer High.
 
Thats hella funny i work at an auto parts store on Meridian, right over by Branham High. plus i live right down the street from Pioneer!
 
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